Holyrood magazine, the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament are delighted to announce the launch of the fifth annual Scottish Public Service Awards, which celebrate excellence within Scotland’s public services.

The Awards, launched by Holyrood magazine in 2014, are held in association with the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament and uniquely recognise the rich diversity of public life in Scotland and the vital relationships that cut across departmental, geographic, and institutional boundaries.

The Scottish Public Service Awards offer an annual opportunity to showcase some of the most innovative and thought-provoking work being done the length and breadth of Scotland, which is often done in partnerships between sectors to offer high-end services along with value for money to the public purse.

The Scottish Public Service Awards offer the opportunity to celebrate outstanding achievements within Scotland's civic landscape and give welcome recognition to the work that goes on - sometimes very much behind the scenes and often in difficult circumstances - to support the governance of Scotland.

The Scottish Public Service Awards will once again recognise the wider contribution made to Scotland's civic society from within the civil service, Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, the Third Sector and the wide-ranging and diverse responsibilities of public agencies, including NDPBs such as SEPA, national bodies such as Police Scotland, the Scottish Prison Service and the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, as well as UK-government departments with a significant presence in Scotland, like DFID and the DWP.